Universal tries out new ‘flipper’ discs with BD and DVD reissues

Looking through my DVD collection, I see a few older titles that offer “flipper” discs. Most of them were the difference between a widescreen and a fullscreen version of the film. I always watched the widescreen, as I prefer to see the entire film, not a pan and scan version.

When BD (and it’s less successful cousin, HD-DVD) came out, I pointed out in a few editorials in this space that I couldn’t see much use for the format until a clear winner had been announced. I also advised against all titles being upgraded to the format: special effects movies would be welcome, but there wasn’t much need for lowbrow comedies and dramas to make the high-definition jump.

Last year, Disney took what I thought was a logical step in promoting HD; offer a conventional disc in addition to the BD disc in the package. Now Universal has brought back the “flipper” disc, but this time, the “A” side is a BD, and the “B” side is a conventional DVD. It should be noted that Universal was on the HD-DVD side originally, and their releases in that format were flipper discs.

As an example, they sent me the “Bourne” trilogy. (Note: I know that they came out two weeks ago, but a shipping problem meant that I didn’t have all of them until last week.) I had never seen the “Bourne” films, but they were on my list of movies that I wanted to see but never had the time for.

Recap: “The Bourne Identity” introduces us to Jason Bourne (Matt Damon), a man who has no memory of who he is or what he used to be, but he does have skills that are commensurate with being an assassin. “The Bourne Supremacy” picks up the story four years later, with Bourne being tracked by some unsavory characters who benefited from an assassination he had done years earlier. “Ultimatum” has Bourne as the target for a secret CIA assassination team. All three are based on novels written by Robert Ludlum.

I watched “Identity” on BD and was impressed with both the film and the picture quality. I watched the DVD version of “Supremacy” because I didn’t have access to a BD player at the time. And I finished “Ultimatum” on BD a few nights later.

What impressed me about the films was that Bourne was obviously trained in urban escape and evasion techniques, but didn’t need all of the high-tech gear of a James Bond. The films were grounded in real-world technology. The European, Asian and African locations are actual streets not on the usual tourist haunts. And the plots weren’t the usual by-the-numbers spy either; the characters’ actions had lasting consequences.

First of all, it must be noted that if you already have the BD or DVD trilogy editions, then you have what’s on the flipper discs. There’s nothing exclusive about these flipper editions that hasn’t already been released. So if you’re happy with those editions, then you don’t need this upgrade. Second, this particular trilogy has been released in different packages before, so the chance that you have it already is pretty good.

However, if for some reason you don’t have it, or want to upgrade to the BD edition, then this is a pretty good buy. You do have the choice of watching it on standard DVD, which is useful if you don’t have access to a BD player (such as in the car, your laptop or in a hotel room). I watched the DVD version of “Supremacy” instead of the BD because I was donating platelets for the South Texas Blood and Tissue Center. Since the procedure takes about two-and-a-half hours, it was an ideal time to watch the film.

Overall, I think this flipper disc is a good idea. It cuts packaging and distribution costs while offering the consumer a way to enjoy the film before upgrading his/her current system to BD. The extras on the previous releases are all there, including the BD exclusives.

The only problem that I see is the same issue I had with the original flipper discs; extra care must be taken so that you don’t smudge the playing surfaces with your fingers when removing the disc. Conventional BD and DVD discs have a label that you can brush your fingers against accidentally. Plus, there is more potential for accidental damage when handling the disc.

I understand why Universal has only done reissues with the flipper program; they’re test marketing it to see if it works. But I think the concept is better for new releases; ones which consumers are waiting for. As I said earlier, this one is only worth the upgrade if you don’t already have the BD edition and want it, or are planning to upgrade to BD in the future.